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WordPress for Android was updated to version 2.0 earlier today, making on-the-fly blogging easier than ever. The update brings several new features, including a Dashboard and Quick Action Bar giving "one-tap access to everything you want to do with your blog." Additionally, the update offers an all new post editor, which comes with a sophisticated rich text formatting bar and "enhanced" media features. The update also brings full support for Android tablets, which is huge, particularly for those users with a handy Bluetooth keyboard. Personally, I wouldn't think of blogging from a phone, but the screen real estate offered by a tablet seems much more reasonable. If you haven't already, grab the update from the Market link below and start blogging from wherever you are. WordPress Read More

WordPress released version 2.0 of its Android app, calling it a major update that “focuses on a new UI and enhanced post editor features.” First there’s a brand new look with the central Dashboard from where you have one-tap access to create new posts and pages, upload media, view your stats, manage comments, read blogs and more. The Action Bar at the top is also new, using which you can quickly get to other areas of the application. The second major thing is the new full-screen post editor which now has a formatting toolbar that displays above the keyboard as you type. Media attachments have received an “awesome boost” as well so you can insert images among the post text wherever you’d like. Finally, this release of WordPress app also includes tablet support, adding special layouts just for Android tablets. WordPress remains a free app and you can get it from the Android Market. Hit the link below and take it from there. Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

My Android phone has been one of the few turning points in my blogging career. With Internet access, a hotspot and dozens of blogger-specific apps, my Android is one smartphone that keeps me working at any time (by choice or circumstance). 2011 was a big year for blogger apps as some (like WordPress) improved on existing features, while others (like Tumblr) completely revamped their Android app from the ground up. As mobile blogging really settles into its own, Android’s become a perfect playground for a generation of ready chroniclers. WordPress made an early entry onto the Android Market, and has steadily improved its mobile blogging platform accordingly. As one of the most widely-used blogging services for professionals, WordPress has a responsibility to incorporate as much of the backend functionality into its mobile version as it possibly can. 2011 brought some noteworthy updates that make its app feel more like the web version, offering more control over your publication with scheduling, post passwords, HTTP authentication and several interface changes geared for mobile use. Tumblr has really taken off as a blogging tool in 2011, gaining widespread popularity and a soaring number of users. Thanks to some major updates and added functions, Tumblr’s competing with the likes of Posterous and WordPress in many regards. A completely revamped Android app shows Tumblr’s appreciation for its mobile user base, offering a one-stop shop for syndicating blog posts across all your social networks. The interface was designed for Android hardware and software, and the ability to manage multiple blogs was added. You can create a post directly from the app, and access messages for each blog. You can find people to follow directly from your address book, and quickly create posts with the home screen widget. Evernote tends to make its way onto most “top” lists, whether they’re for bloggers, the workplace, organization or just an all-time favorite pick. There’s a reason for Evernote’s staying power, and 2011 proved just as successful for the popular app. Not only did Evernote launch a new note-taking and annotation app called Skitch, they also updated its Android app to increase notebook sharing control, which can be key for a blogger’s use of Evernote’s service. There’s new ways to share a notebook, including a designated URL (which can even be edited for premium users), or limited to certain people. Combined with other useful capabilities, such as the option to create Read More

Now you can blog from anywhere via the WordPress Android tablet app. The app gives you the basic tools you need to write new posts, edit content, manage comments and view stats on your WordPress blog. Design-wise, the app is even more simpistic that the app's mother site, which makes it perfect for blogging on-the-go. You can also quickly switch between accounts and easily add photos to posts. The app does allow for some formatting, but this feature is fairly limited. In other words, don't plan to go too crazy with the coding via your tablet. This app is ideal if you need to make an important correction or closely monitor the comments on your site. It's a must-have tool for any serious WordPress blogger. Read More

You know how it goes – you get a new phone and suddenly realize you need to install all of your favorite apps once again. I recently got myself the Samsung II and before even turning it on, I decided to prepare a list of apps I’ll install on it. Without further ado, here’s a list of 30 apps I find essential: In addition, there’s the office suite (Polaris) that comes preloaded with the Samsung II — HTC smartphones rock Quickoffice. Moreover, you may notice some other icons on the image above like GetGlue and Taskos – I’m still playing with them and so I can’t included them to my must-have list. Now I want to know which apps are essential for you. I guess Amazon’s Kindle could be on the list, but I don’t buy digital books that often (if ever)… Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

WordPress has updated its iOS app, adding few important usability enhancements to allow you to better manage/edit your blog while on the go. The most important change is in the new styling buttons that enable text formatting (bold/italic), links and/or lists. No longer will you have to manually code HTML elements – you can now focus on content. The second important change is the full-screen mode support, which is especially handy when you have a Bluetooth keyboard connected to your iPhone or iPad. As you can imagine, this will free up the space on the screen for your content. Finally, now you can subscribe to WordPress.com blogs right from the app. Not sure you’ll want to do that (I know I like my Google Reader feeds) but hey – it’s good to have an extra option. In any case, you can easily update WordPress from the AppStore or install it (if you already haven’t done so) by clicking on a link below. WordPress (FREE) [iTunes link] Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

You know how it goes – you get a new phone and suddenly realize you need to install all of your favorite apps once again. I recently got myself the Samsung II and before even turning it on, I decided to prepare a list of apps I’ll install on it. Without further ado, here’s a list of 30 apps I find essential: In addition, there’s the office suite (Polaris) that comes preloaded with the Samsung II — HTC smartphones rock Quickoffice. Moreover, you may notice some other icons on the image above like GetGlue and Taskos – I’m still playing with them and so I can’t included them to my must-have list. Now I want to know which apps are essential for you. I guess Amazon’s Kindle could be on the list, but I don’t buy digital books that often (if ever)… Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

The new version adds handy styling buttons right above the keyboard, so you no longer have to put in your markup manually for bold or italic text, links or lists. Full-screen editing gives you more real estate to view what you're working on, especially handy on the iPhone's screen. You can also now follow other subscribed Wordpress.com blogs directly in the app. Read More

The app market of Android was (or may be currently as well ) smaller than that of iPhone. But the because of the open-source characteristic of Google Android operating system, Android apps are growing in numbers every day. The earnest effort and hard work of developers really paid off as Google Android operating system has now gained strong grip in the world of smartphone. What’s more, many of the most functional apps available in the Android market today are free. It’s not surprising why users are so much in love with the features offered by their Android smartphone in wide variety and multitasking features. Here are the top favorites free apps your Android phone must have. Facebook - Top Free Android App Facebook allows you to stay connected with your loved ones and you can have it anywhere at any time with Facebook for Android app. Although this app lacks features than those on Facebook itself, the latest update includes the addition of Inbox support which allows you to communicate with others almost in real time. This Android app is incredibly stable and fast. This app is certainly another exciting app for book lovers. It’s an e-reader right through your Android phone seamlessly connected to your Amazon account. As for now, it has limited support for newspapers and magazines but it works well on books in options-rich format so nothing can get in your way that will hurt your eyes. Besides, it is an exciting way to complete your novel collections without shopping around various bookstores. ES File Explorer - Free Android App Android users have its own favorite app for file explorers and ES File Explorer is one of them. This ad-free app features a more appealing, functional and user-friendly interface that explores both your PC and phone. This open source Android app allows you to manage the content of your blog posts while on the go. The feature-rich updated version offers complete integration with third party apps. Besides, you can perform minor formatting as well as add images right from your phone. Although there are lots of Android apps for Twitter and Twitter itself has its own, Seesmic still makes the finest choice. Why? Simply because this app offers support to manage multiple accounts in Twitter in straightforward and sleek interface. You can also see the latest tweets, post tweets and enable reply notification to multiple accounts simultaneously. This Read More

All of us know that WordPress 3.2 was released last week and that it has been receiving positive responses from everyone. What I liked most was the distraction-free editor or the zen mode while writing posts. While thinking about it, it struck me that using as much screen space as possible is most important for phones, among all devices, due to their reduced screen size. The existing app provides only about 5 lines for writing posts and it is difficult to view what has been written earlier. I then decided to go about implementing full-screen option for writing posts, even though I hadn’t discussed it in my proposal. I feel that it is a must for the Android app and I am pleased to say, that it works well (might require more testing though). Here is what I have implemented. The first image shows the normal Add Post screen that a user sees. Note that, other than the action bar, only one additional change has been done with respect to the earlier app. That’s the “Write in Fullscreen” option in the ‘Post Content’ section, below the format buttons. The second image shows the fullscreen feature. The app takes the whole of the android screen (it hides the system notifications section too). At the bottom are the format buttons. The user can type as usual, and apply the format buttons on it too. The following image shows an example. Once the text is entered, the user would have to press the Menu button on his phone. The user is provided with 2 options. To save the text and exit fullscreen, and to exit fullscreen without saving. Once “Save and Exit” is pressed, the user can find that the text has been entered into the Content textbox and the user can proceed as usual, to add media, publish post, etc as shown in the image on the right. And as the name implies, “Exit without Saving” exits the fullscreen without any text being entered in the Content textbox. I also fixed a bug related to the width of the Stats graph with the help of my mentor Dan Roundhill, after going through the source code of WordPress for iOS. I am also trying to implement a few other features into the stats app too. The following screenshots can confirm that stats for different durations are all accommodated within the screen properly. I was also working Read More